Rains lash Saurashtra

Published: Wednesday, September 17, 2008, 19:34 [IST]

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Rajkot, Sep 17 (UNI) Vehicular traffic and communication network in many parts of Saurashtra region of Gujarat were badly affected as heavy rains continued to pound the state, where 1500 marooned people in Surendranagar district were shifted to safer places.

Local authorities in Junagadh district have rescued 31 marooned people after they were trapped in floods.About 25 people trapped in marooned water at Muliasan village of Keshod Taluka in the district were rescued with the help of boats, while six people in Ghodadar village in Mangrol Taluka of Junagadh district were also rescued.

About 1500 people of Surendranagar district were shifted to safer places from low-lying areas, a report from Surendranagar said.

Worst-affected taluka was Lakhtar in the district, which received 300 mm of rainfall in past 24 hours, resulting in disruption of vehicular traffic and communication network, sources said.

Traffic between Lakhtar and Ahmedabad highway was severely affected as roads were badly damaged due to the rain-fury.

About 850 people in Bagsara, Mangrole and Keshod talukas have been shifted to safer places as the water level was increasing in the villages, sources said.

The people of four downstream villages of Chotila Taluka in Surendranagar district have been asked to move to safer places following overflowing of the Triveni Thanga dam, the sources said.

As many as 34 dams under Rajkot Irrigation department are overflowing, the irrigation control said. Downstream villages of these dams have been alerted and advised not to move near the river bed site.

The Bhadar dam, about 70 kms from here, one of the source of drinking water for Rajkot is overflowing following heavy rainfall in the catchment areas, the irrigation control room said adding three other dams Aaji dam-l, Nyari-l and Nyari-ll dams, are also overflowing.

Rajkot Municipal Corporation has decided to relax water cuts in drinking water supply from tomorrow following good rains in the region.

The city recorded 79 mm of rainfall during last 24 hours, taking the season's total to 800 mm, the weather office said.